1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to an image providing apparatus and an image providing method, and more particularly to an image providing apparatus and an image providing method, in which two or more users can view different images using one image providing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Three-dimensional (3D) image technology may be used in various application fields, such as information communication, broadcasting, medical treatment, educational training, military affairs, games, animation, virtual reality, computer-aided design (CAD), industrial technology, and the like.
A 3D implementation method may be implemented as a non-glasses method and a glasses method.
The non-glasses method may include a parallax barrier method and a lenticular lens method.
The glasses method may include a passive method, an active method, and an anaglyph method.
As the non-glasses method, the parallax barrier method and a lenticular screen method, which can be simply manufactured and easily implemented, are mainly used. These two methods are used through installation of an optical plate, such as a parallax barrier or a lenticular screen, in front of or in the rear of a display screen. In general, these methods have a fairly narrow effective visual field, and thus only one person can use the methods.
The glasses method may be implemented as a side by side method, a top and bottom method, a checker board method, and a sequential frame method.
A 3D image providing apparatus encodes a 3D image signal and transmits the encoded 3D image signal to a 3D display.
The 3D display may be a passive type and an active type in accordance with the method of reproducing the 3D image signal.
A two-dimensional (2D) image providing apparatus or a 3D image providing apparatus displays different images by dividing a portion of a display screen or dividing the display screen into left and right portions for multi-display.
That is, the multi-display is implemented by a picture-in-picture (PIP) method in which an auxiliary display screen is inserted into a specified position of a main display screen or a double screen method in which two images having the same size are displayed side by side on the left and right sides of the display screen, respectively.
There is a need to simultaneously provide images in a full-screen state to two or more users through one image providing apparatus.